Revelation
by adromir
Summary: Steve refuses to get involve in the latest case for AC-12, and the reason has everything to do with a dark incident in his past.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY: Steve refuses to get involve in the latest case for AC-12, and the reason has everything to do with a dark incident in his past.**

**A/N: Nope. Still no 'Cockrotoa'. Sorry, guys. The ending is still wrong. Anyway, this LOD story takes place after Season 5. Enjoy.**

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It was almost 6.00 in the evening. Most of the AC-12 workforce had already left for the day, except for several hardworking officers who were still busy clacking away at their computers.

Superintendent Ted Hastings went to stand at the doorway to his office.

"Kate. Steven," he called out, getting the attention of his two most trusted officers. Beckoning for them both to come over, Hastings then walked back to sit behind his desk. His face stayed impassive as DI Kate Fleming and DS Steve Arnott entered the room to stand before him.

"Sir."

"How's the report on the Bagley case going?" Hastings asked as preamble.

"Almost done, sir," Kate replied, smirking at his partner, "I'm running through it again for the _third_ time, in case Steve has misspelled the word 'definately'."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Come on. I only did it once. Can you just lay it off already?"

Despite it all, Hastings chuckled. And then he got straight to business. "Look, I just received another case file."

He picked up a brown folder on his desk and handed it over to Kate. "This came from Kingsgate Station."

"DCI Jacob Ashton," Kate read aloud, as she shared the document with Steve. "From his record here, he seems to be a highly dedicated police officer. Several commendations, policeman of the year twice in a row."

"Exactly. _Seems_ to be," the gaffer responded. "From the folder, you can also see that he has just bought a property not far from where he works. A three storey cottage that he acquired at just two hundred and fifty thousand pounds."

Steve's eyebrows rose. "That's quite a bargain for such a house in that area."

"Yep. Too good to be true, wouldn't you say?" Hastings said, a sly smile on his face. "The current market value for that type of house for that particular location is at least five hundred thousand pounds."

Steve and Kate exchanged meaningful glances. They instantly knew something was fishy with the whole deal.

"Who did he buy the house from?" Kate asked.

Hastings gave her another folder. "Ashton bought it through a real estate firm called Collins & Ramsey Properties, partly owned by Mr. Sebastian Collins."

Frowning, Steve took the folder from Kate's hand and quickly scanned through the papers. When he saw the photograph of a smiling man, Steve's face drained of all color.

Kate instantly noticed his strange reaction. "Steve? What is it?"

Steve swallowed several times before he quietly asked, "When did he get out?"

"_Out_?" Kate was puzzled. "What do you mean, out?"

Still shaken, Steve continued to stare at the man's photo. "Collins has been imprisoned. In London's HM Pentonville, to be precise. I didn't realize he's already out."

Hastings rose from his chair. "According to his record, Collins has been released about six months ago."

Steve looked up in shock at the gaffer. "_Six _months? But I was never told."

Staring hard at the young man, Hastings asked, "Any reasons why you should be told, Steve? Do you know this man?"

Unable to meet his superior's gaze, Steve shook his head. "I…I can't do this. Forgive me, sir. I really can't do this."

"Steve…" Kate touched his arm. She looked incredibly concerned. "What's wrong, mate?"

"Ma'am," Steve said, taking a step back. Turning back to Hastings, he added. "I can't be involved in this investigation, sir. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

Pushing the folder back into Kate's hand, Steve turned around and rushed out the door. Kate and the gaffer watched in confusion as Steve paused at his workstation to grab his suit jacket and mobile phone before heading towards the lift almost at a run. Seconds later, he was gone.

For once, Hastings was struck speechless. "What the hell just happened?"

Kate turned to her boss, her eyes wide. "I've never seen him looks so spooked, sir."

"Right? As if he had seen a ghost." Shaking his head, the gaffer then threw his arms into the air. "But this is outrageous! The wee gobshite just up and leaves without any explanation. I should report him for insubordination!"

"Sir," Kate calmly said, trying to placate him, "Look, why don't I dig through Collins' historical background first? I'll find out his connection to Steve, if any."

"There is definitely a connection, Kate. Didn't you see Steve's reaction just now? He _knew_ Sebastian Collins."

"I know, sir. But we need to find out what the actual connection is," she explained, flipping through the papers in the folder. "From what it states here, Collins was imprisoned for the last twenty years for sexual assault and manslaughter. But twenty years ago, Steve was only fourteen. How could he have possibly known this guy?"

Hastings rubbed his chin as he grew deep in thought. "You're right, Kate. Do some more digging. But Steve—"

"Leave Steve to me. I'll talk to him. Just don't take any disciplinary actions on him just yet, sir. There must be a good reason why he reacted that way."

He nodded. "Very well, Kate. Do what you must. Just come back to me immediately with any updates, yeah? We've got a job to do here."

"Certainly, sir."

Sighing, Hastings stared at Steve's vacant workstation. "What makes me wonder the most was why should Steve be told about Collins' release from prison in the first place? Who is Sebastian Collins to him?"

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The moment Steve reached his car at the basement carpark of the AC-12 building, he quickly got in and locked the door. Without turning on the engine, he took out his mobile phone and started dialing.

When the person at the other end answered, he promptly said, "Da? It's me."

He listened for a while at his father's happy rejoinder, feeling guilty that he was about to shatter the older man's otherwise blissful day.

"Yes, Da. I'm perfectly fine. How's Mom? Great. Good to hear that." Biting his lower lip, he said next, "Look, Da. There's a reason why I called. And I need you to be truly honest with me."

He paused, listening to his father's puzzled reaction.

"It's about Sebastian Collins."

There was another pause, longer this time. His father had gone strangely quiet.

"Did you know that he is out?"

For a long while, there was no response. And then his father shortly said, "Yes."

Sighing, Steve leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. "Jesus Christ, Da. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You have enough on your plate, son. I don't want you to worry."

Rubbing his forehead, Steve said, "Da, I just found out about Collins today. He has something to do with our new case. I have no luxury _not_ to worry. I'm deeply involved in all this."

"I'm so sorry, Stevie. I have not the heart to tell you. You've been in and out of hospitals lately. I don't want to add more problems for you to think of."

Steve took a deep breath. He knew his father was not the person to be blamed. "It's alright, Da. I understand why you didn't tell me. But how did you find out?"

"Malcolm. He called me the day Collins was released."

His father was talking about Malcolm Wright, the former Police Superintendent of a London station. Malcolm was now retired, and was one of Arnott senior's closest friends. He also happened to be the SIO for Sebastian Collins' case twenty years ago.

"I should've known," Steve said, pinching the bridge of his nose. A headache was quickly developing. "Mom doesn't know, does she?"

"Of course not," his father replied. "Look, son, why don't you come home? Let's go see Malcolm and talk more about this."

Steve shook his head. "I can't, Da. Not right now. I've got to work, and I have some more thinking to do."

"Okay, Stevie. Just…call me back, you hear? I need to know that you'll be alright."

Steve chuckled without humor. He would never be alright, now that Sebastian Collins—the man who had wrecked his young life—was a free man.

_**-AC12AC12AC12AC12AC12-**_

It was approaching 10.00 at night, and Kate still couldn't get in touch with her partner. Steve had not answered or returned any of her calls. He wasn't at his home, and he wasn't at his favorite bar. He wasn't even at the gym he frequented.

But there was a public aquatic center next to the gym. Kate knew Steve was not the running type, but he certainly loved to swim. Trying her luck, hoping that she got it right this time, she walked through the automatic glass door of the aquatic center.

At the lobby, a young lady behind the counter instantly told her, "Sorry, ma'am. We're closing in fifteen minutes."

"No, it's alright. I'm just looking for my friend, DS Steve Arnott. Is he here?"

"You mean Stevie?" The girl's face brightened up. "Sure. He's still doing laps in the pool."

_Stevie?_ Kate tried hard not to grin. She never ceased to be amazed by Steve's popularity with the ladies.

Kate had been at the center before, so she knew the way to the pool. True to the girl's words, she found Steve alone in the water. He swam to and fro the entire length of the pool, stroke after steady stroke, as if he were battling for an Olympic gold.

Sighing in relief, Kate took a seat on a bench at one end of the pool to wait until Steve finished letting out his steam. It was not a long wait because two laps afterwards, he happened to look up and finally noticed her presence.

Steve instantly stopped, panting for breath as he stared up at her in surprise. "Kate?"

She smiled back. "Hey, mate."

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough."

He sighed. "What are you doing here, Kate?"

She gave him a knowing look. "You know why."

He shook his head and looked away. "How did you find me?"

"I'm a bloody detective. I have my ways," she retorted. "Steve, we need to talk."

He pushed himself up against the ledge until he sat on the cold floor, leaving his legs dangling in the water. "So talk."

"I can't talk with you looking like that," Kate dryly said.

"What are you saying?"

"You are half naked, mate. You only had your trunks on."

"Seriously, Kate? We have been partners for so long we're practically brother and sister."

"Well, no brother of mine looks like _that_."

Steve frowned. "Look like what?"

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? Those firm pecs, that washboard ab. They are distracting me!"

He rolled his eyes. "You can't be serious. You're a married a woman!"

"I'm a woman. Period. And a warm blooded one too. Now go change. Put some clothes on."

"Okay, okay!" Steve said as he leapt to his feet. "Jeez, Kate. As if you haven't seen me naked before."

"I have, and that's the problem!"

Laughing out loud, Steve grabbed his towel before rushing towards the changing room. "Meet me out front in five minutes!"

_**-AC12AC12AC12AC12AC12-**_

They decided to take Kate's car, leaving Steve's Mazda in the aquatic center carpark. He would retrieve it later after they finished their talk.

During the entire drive, Steve said nary a word. He kept staring out the window, his mind obviously wandering somewhere else. Kate just let him stew some more. Whatever was on his mind, she was about to find out soon.

A while later, Kate pulled her car over in front of an all-night café. "Right, mate. Let's go get ourselves some coffee. I'm buying."

Steve made a face. "Coffee? I won't be able to sleep after this."

"That's the whole point. Now stop complaining and let's go," she said, getting out of the car.

Sighing, Steve pushed open his door. "Yes, ma'am."

While inside, they took their coffee to a secluded table next to the large window. A tall cup of latte for her, and a mug of black coffee for him. After taking a sip of her brew, Kate put down her cup and gazed intently at her partner. "Steve?"

When he kept staring into his coffee without responding, she placed her hand on top his joint fists. "Come on, mate. Don't shut me out like this."

Steve looked up. "I'm not shutting you out, Kate. I just…"

"What? What is it that is so hard for you tell me?"

He shrugged. "Where do I begin?"

"From where it all started then, right before Collins was imprisoned twenty years ago," she suggested, "You were fourteen at that time?"

"Yeah. Just about."

"What happened, Steve?"

After a brief hesitation, he said, "Before I tell you what happened, firstly you need to know about Cassie Francis."

Kate frowned. "Who is Cassie Francis?"

"A friend of mine when I was a kid in school. I knew her since kindergarten."

She grinned. "Cassie was your girlfriend?"

"Of course not." He frowned back. "She was a good friend who happened to be a girl."

"Fine. Sorry. Go on."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "In case you are wondering, I had a happy childhood. I came from a loving family."

Kate nodded. "I've noticed."

"But at school, it was a different story. I was small for my age, a scrawny lad. I always became a target for bullies by the other boys bigger than me."

"Oh no…" She sighed, dreading what came next.

"Don't worry, Kate," he smiled back at her. "Except for some scrapes and bruises, they didn't hurt me that much. The worst was the bloody nose I got when I was thirteen after I refused to give them my lunch money."

He chuckled. "Kids. They can be so cruel. Young criminals in training."

"My God, Steve…"

"Anyway, to cut it short, I didn't make friends with the boys. I got along well with the girls though."

"Yeah, you still do," she said, amused.

Steve grinned. And then his smile faltered. "Cassie Francis was my best friend. She was a popular girl in school because she was so pretty, she got good grades and everything. We both got on famously because we shared the same interest in books."

"Harry Potter?"

"_No_. Lord of the Rings."

"Ah, okay." Kate chuckled. "I didn't know you read."

He shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "I don't read many books nowadays. I spent too much time reading crime reports and such."

"Yes, I know what you mean."

Steve's face grew somber. "Cassie came from a broken family. Her parents got divorced while she was a toddler, but she was a happy-go-lucky girl. So full of joy. Always smiling and laughing, cheering me up. But it all changed when we were fourteen. Her mother remarried."

After a short pause, he added, "To Sebastian Collins."

Kate's eyes widened. "Oh, shit…"

"Yeah." Steve grimly nodded. "At first, the changes were subtle. Cassie became quieter, not laughing as much as before. Her grades began to slip. And then she started to sport some bruises, mostly on her wrists and arms. When I asked her about them, she made some stories about bumping into things at home, which was total bollocks. She was not that clumsy."

Kate closed her eyes in dismay. Like Steve, she managed to deduct what had really happened. "She didn't tell you the truth?"

"She kept denying when I asked if her stepfather was abusing her. She even yelled at me once to stay the hell out of her affairs. The Cassie I knew was long gone. She had slipped away into a different Cassie, day by day. I needed help to help my friend, and so I asked my father to confront Sebastian Collins."

"Your _father_?"

"He was reluctant at first, but he adored Cassie. He wasn't sure if she was really abused by her stepfather. We had no proof, and Cassie never admitted it. Somehow I managed to convince my father to talk to Collins."

"He only did it because he believed you."

"I think so too, and I almost regretted it. They arranged to meet at a bar. Unfortunately, my father got arrested that night for punching Collins in the face."

"_What_?!" Kate was so shocked her mouth dropped open.

Steve softly laughed. "That was the first and only time my father got into troubles with the law. He was released the very next day. My father then told me that Collins was the most infuriating man he had ever met. Collins denied ever abusing Cassie, of course. He also told my father to make sure that I stay away from her, or he would gladly smash my head into a bloody pulp. That was when my father lost it."

"Jesus, Steve…"

"My father is a kind gentleman with no mean bones in him. But that night, he turned into Incredible Hulk."

When he went awfully silent for almost a minute, Kate feared that the worst was yet to come. "What happened next, Steve?"

"Cassie stopped talking to me after that day," he quietly replied. "She kept avoiding me, walking the other way when she saw me approaching. It went on like that for two months. And then suddenly one night, she called me, sobbing uncontrollably. Collins and her mother were fighting, and Cassie got really scared.

"I ran all the way to her house. When I got there, the house was very quiet. It was pretty isolated from the rest of the neighborhood. Collins was a successful real estate agent at that time, and he managed to acquire an upscale property. Cassie once told me they put a spare key under the gnome next to the pond out front, and so I used that to unlock the door. When I walked in, I saw…"

He took a deep breath, his face turning pale as he recalled the events of that night. "I saw Cassie's mother lying at the bottom of the stairs. Her neck was bent at an odd angle. I knew without checking that she was already dead."

Kate gasped out loud, shocked beyond belief.

"That was my first dead body," Steve muttered. "I was only fourteen."

"Oh, Steve…" She squeezed his arm to offer him comfort, but he wasn't finished with his tale.

"And then I heard Cassie scream. I ran up the stairs and burst into her room." At this, he choked. "She was completely naked and…and…the bastard was on top of her…"

"Jesus Christ…" Kate was horrified. Her face also turned white.

"Something strange just came over me," Steve said, brushing tears from the corner of his eyes. "I saw red. I didn't even think. I grabbed the first heaviest thing I saw, which was Cassie's hardcover edition of Lord of the Rings novel, and I bashed it against Collins' head, over and over, until he fell down. I didn't check whether he was dead or alive. I just bundled up Cassie in blankets and carried her downstairs and out of the house. We hid behind some bushes, and I used my mobile phone to call my father."

"Steve...Oh, Steve…" Near tears herself, she rubbed his arm consolingly.

"As we waited for help, Collins suddenly came out of the house wielding a fireplace poker. His head was bleeding, but I guess I didn't hit him hard enough. He kept screaming for me and Cassie. He was like a man gone deranged. The wait felt like an eternity, but the first responder finally arrived several minutes later."

Taking a huge gulp of his coffee that had gone cold, Steve then said, "Even then we stayed hidden. We watched as the police took Collins under custody. We saw him being taken away in a patrol car. We watched as the police entered the house to look for us. We only came out of the bushes when my father called out my name."

Shaken by his own revelation, Steve buried his face into his hands. Kate left him be for a moment, but she never released her grip on his arm as she digested what she had just learned.

From all the quick digging she had managed to do on Sebastian Collins' background, she already found out that the charges upon him was for the manslaughter of his wife and the sexual assault of his stepdaughter. But the girl's name was kept out of the record, and so was her savior's name, because both of them were protected minors. Steve's name also didn't show up in any of the legal proceeding documents. He was known only as Witness-1. His verbal statement had been recorded so he didn't need to appear in court.

Looking at her partner in a new light, Kate finally realized that this awful experience was what had molded Steve into the man that he had become. He could be utterly arrogant one moment, and wonderfully kind the next. He could be this irritating wee gobshite that the gaffer liked to complain about, and he could also be this most dedicated police officer who just wanted to do the right thing. He may like to have fun with the ladies a little too much, but he also had admirable moral compass. After learning about his past, Kate surprised herself by the level of sheer protectiveness she felt over him.

"Steve," she softly said, taking his hand to pull it off his face. "Are you alright, mate?"

He sniffed, his head shaking. "No. Not really."

"I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be. It's not your fault, Kate. Besides, you need to get the whole picture. You must know the reason why I can't be involved in this latest case."

"I understand it now. I will tell the gaffer." Squeezing his hand, she looked at him closely. "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to Cassie afterwards? Where is she now?"

If anything, Steve looked even more miserable. "Her own father didn't want anything to do with her, so she went to live with her maternal grandparents. She moved to different school. I rarely saw her after that, but we still kept in touch through phone calls. I learned that she had to see some psychiatrists due to her traumatic experience. She also suffered from severe depression."

His voice broke, and tears started falling down his cheek. "A year later, I received a call from her grandfather one morning. They found Cassie in the bathtub, her wrists were slit opened. She was already beyond help. And that day was my fucking fifteenth birthday…"

Weeping herself, Kate gathered him into her arms and squeezed him tight. She didn't care if anyone else was watching them. She only cared that the brave young boy would still be hurting twenty years later. She only cared that her ever resilient partner had been carrying his grieve for the most part of his life.

The rest of the world be damned.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**A/N: I didn't realize that this particular fic is gonna take longer than I expected. Stay tuned for the final chapter.**

"**I know the difference between screwing an investigation and just screwing." – DS Steve Arnott.**

*** ****ABBREVIATIONS****:**

**AC - Anti Corruption**

**DCI - Detective Chief Inspector**

**DI - Detective Inspector**

**DS - Detective Sergeant**

**SIO - Senior Investigation Officer**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the finale, dear readers. Enjoy.**

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The next day, Steve arrived late for work. Forty five minutes past his clock-in shift, to be precise.

As predicted, he had had troubles sleeping during the night. The talk with Kate kept replaying in his mind like a bad record player. The full cup of coffee he had imbibed was no help as sleep inducement either. He only managed to drift off when it was nearly dawn. When he woke up that morning, it was already a quarter to nine.

"The gaffer is going to kill me," he said for the umpteenth time when he reached his workstation. Taking off his suit jacket, he looked around for Kate.

From her desk fifteen feet away, she gave him a warning look with a nudge of her head towards their boss' room. He made a face at that.

_You're late_, she mouthed back at him. _You're so dead_.

Feeling helpless, Steve could only shrug. He had a feeling that Superintendent Hastings would not be pleased with him, what with his hasty exit the day before. He expected to be summoned to the gaffer's office any seconds now.

As if he had been listening to Steve's thoughts, Hastings suddenly appeared at the doorway with his arms akimbo. "DS Arnott."

"Shit," Steve muttered under his breath, his heart sinking. He briefly closed his eyes before heading towards the gaffer's room.

"Close the door," Hastings gave the order from behind his desk. "Remain standing."

Doing as he was told, Steve stood straight in front of the gaffer with his hands clasped behind his back. For nearly half a minute, Hastings just stared at him without a word before he finally asked, "You have a good reason for your tardiness this morning?"

"Sorry, sir. I overslept," Steve replied, feeling incredibly sheepish.

"_Overslept_?" Hastings' voice rose an octave. "Are you shitting me here, son? Is that your excuse? What are you, a greenhorn cadet?"

"No, sir."

"You are a Detective Sergeant! And this is how you behave? What kind of examples are you giving your junior officers?"

Steve had no response to that, and so he remained stoic in silence and let the gaffer continue with his tirade. Behind him, he could feel the gazes of his fellow co-workers stabbing his back through the clear glass wall. The door was not exactly sound proof too. They all could hear Hastings' every shouted word.

"And your behavior yesterday was completely intolerable!" Hastings fumed. "You just up and left me standing there like an idiot without even a by-your-leave. What did you take me for? A bloody mannequin?"

"No, sir." Steve shook his head and quietly said, "I deeply apologize for what happened yesterday. I was out of line."

"Damn right you were out of line, Steven. _Way_ out of line," said Hastings. "In fact, you've committed an insubordination!"

Steve sighed inwardly. He had expected the gaffer would be mad, but not _this_ mad.

"Furthermore, you have no authority whatsoever to refuse any cases assigned to you," Hastings added. "You were given the orders, and it is your duty to carry them through!"

At this, Steve's face turned pale. "Sir?"

_No, not the case with Sebastian Collins…I can't deal with it. I just can't…_

"This time, I'm letting you off with a verbal warning," the gaffer said next. "Another insubordination from you, and I will report you to the disciplinary board. Do you understand me?"

When Steve simply stood there without responding, looking utterly shaken, Hastings' repeated his question, "DS Arnott, do you understand what I said?"

Steve swallowed hard. He nodded and softly said, "Yes, sir. I understand."

Thoughtfully, Hastings gazed for a long moment at the young man standing before him. His face softened. "Steve? Are you alright?"

Looking up, Steve immediately straightened his spine. "Yes, sir. I'm fine."

"At ease, son. Sit down."

After a brief hesitation, Steve pulled out a chair. "Thank you, sir."

Rising from his seat, Hastings went to open his door and called out, "Kate? Come in here, please."

After Kate entered and sat down next to Steve, the gaffer rested his clasped hands onto his desk before he began, "Alright, now that my best team is here, let's get down to business."

Turning to Steve, Hastings said, "Kate has told me the full details about Sebastian Collins, and about how you're connected to him."

Steve visibly winced. He hated the word 'connected' because he didn't want anything to do with that bastard. But orders were orders. "What is the line of inquiries on Collins that you want me to follow through, sir?"

"You are doing none of that," Hasting replied, much to Steve's confusion.

"Sir?"

"You have a valid point, Steve. I agree, you can't be involved in this particular case. You've had prior history with that man, even though it happened two decades ago and that your name was kept off the records. Your involvement in this case may be questioned during the legal proceedings. That is why I'm going to assign you with another case."

Steve turned to Kate, who smiled reassuringly back at him. He heaved a huge sigh of relief. "I'm off the Kingsgate case?"

"Yes," she replied. "The gaffer has instructed DC Archie Miles to assist me. He's not you, but…considering the current circumstances, Miles will do just fine."

Steve looked gratefully at both Hastings and Kate. "Thank you, sir. Ma'am."

"Don't thank me yet." The gaffer handed him a bulky folder. "This is your new case. It came from the Met's RPU. There's a long list of traffic officers who are suspected of taking kickbacks from traffic offenders. Or rather, _non_-offenders who have been threatened with traffic summons if they didn't pay the officers certain amount of money."

Steve's eyes widened as he quickly scanned the folder. "Twenty one officers in all? Jesus Christ. No wonder this folder is so thick!"

"Yeah, bent coppers the lot of them." Hastings smirked. "I'm sure you can handle it, Steve?"

Steve looked up and broke into grins. "Of course, sir. I'll get to it right away. But I need bigger team than usual. This is a lot of names to sift through."

"You are free to choose any officers at your disposal. Brief me or DI Fleming afterwards."

"Certainly, sir."

"Alright, go on. Get to it."

"Sir." Both Kate and Steve rose to their feet and headed towards the door.

"Steve."

At the doorway, Steve halted and turned around. "Yes, sir?"

Hastings came towards Steve with an apologetic look on his face. Waiting until Kate was out of hearing, he quietly said, "Kate has told me everything. I'm sorry about your good friend, Steve. That must be so awful for you. No child should experience what you went through. Nonetheless, I'm real proud of what you did. You stood up to that horrid man. You saved your friend from further abuse."

Steve had to look away. "But I was unable to stop Cassie from committing suicide, sir. I wasn't there when she needed me the most."

"You did the best that you could, son. That's all that matters."

Giving his boss an appreciative look, Steve nodded. "Thank you, sir. I'll…uh…get started on this new case immediately."

"Off you go, then."

Returning to his workstation, Steve took several deep breaths to gather his composure. After he felt steady enough, he gestured for PC Tatleen Sohota to come over.

"We have a new case," he told her. "I'm enlisting at least five other officers to assist us on this. Get the meeting room ready in ten minutes."

"Yes, Sarge." As she rushed off to carry out his instruction, Steve promptly sat down in front of his computer to send directive emails to his selected officers.

Kate came near to briefly squeeze his shoulder. "Go get 'em, mate."

_**-AC12AC12AC12AC12AC12-**_

Three days later, Steve almost bumped into Kate at the office pantry in his haste to get himself a cup of coffee.

"Whoa…easy there, partner," she chuckled, holding her own mug of brew upright to prevent any spills. "We're not running out of coffee anytime soon."

"Sorry, ma'am. Didn't see you there." He grinned in response. "In fact, I haven't seen much of you the last few days."

"I spent almost an entire day at Kingsgate Station yesterday, following up on some details. Before that, I ran here and there interviewing witnesses. You know the drill." She leaned against the counter, taking a sip of her drink as she watched him make his coffee. "I haven't seen much of you around the office either. How's your case going?"

"As slow as molasses." Steve let out an exaggerated sigh. "Twenty one suspects, so you can imagine the mountain of documents we have to vet through."

He then raised his eyebrows as he gave her a meaningful look. "How's yours?"

She emitted a small smile. "I'm glad you asked me that, because there's something I need to inform you beforehand."

"What is it?"

"We are bringing in Sebastian Collins for interview."

For several moments, Steve grew quiet before he softly asked, "When? "

"Today, in the afternoon. The interview is scheduled about three hours from now."

Grimly, he nodded. "Thanks for the heads up, mate."

"The least I could do," she said. "I understand if you don't want to be around when he arrives."

"No, I won't let that bastard keep me out of my own office," Steve adamantly replied. "Besides, he won't recognize me by sight. I'm not the young kid that he once knew. That doesn't mean I want to meet him though. I can't even stand looking at his face."

Sighing, he added, "I will go through the case updates with my team in the meeting room. That way, I won't see him and he won't see me."

Kate nodded. "Alright, mate. It's your call."

For the rest of the day, Steve kept himself busy with his team over the traffic casefiles. He was not exaggerating when he said there was a mountain of documents that needed to be studied. The meeting table was fully covered with files and folders containing reports of misconducts and complaints from the public. The massive size of information was enough to give him a throbbing headache.

It was close to 6.00 in the evening when Steve finally called it a day. Feeling as if his head would explode, he quickly dismissed his team. He had just rested his forehead against his folded arms on the table when Tatleen walked back into the room.

"Sarge? Sorry, but a priority package has just arrived for you."

Stifling a sigh, he straightened up. "Where is it from?"

"Traffic Operational Command Unit. The package is for your eyes only, Sarge. The courier guy is waiting out front."

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute."

He took a moment to stretch his stiff muscles, being extra careful not to overdo it because of the not-so-old injury in his lower back. It resulted from his fall last year and was not hundred percent healed. He still felt twinges of pain now and then, though it wasn't as bad as the first six months after the incident. He was just thankful that he could walk on his own two feet again. Spending those agonizing weeks in a wheelchair was an experience not to be repeated.

Rubbing his throbbing temple, planning to get himself a painkiller afterwards, Steve walked out of the meeting room towards the main access gate where a messenger from the courier company stood waiting.

"DS Steve Arnott?"

"Yes, that's me."

"A package for you, sir." The messenger handed over a large envelope bearing the seal of OCU.

"Thank you." Steve was putting down his signature on the courier's digital device as proof of receipt when a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Steve Arnott? _Stevie_?"

Steve instantly went still, his face drained of all color. He knew that voice. After all these years, he could still remember it.

"You _are_ Stevie, aren't you?"

His heart beating rapidly, Steve slowly turned around. Sebastian Collins, the man responsible for his painful past, now stood before him.

Collins hadn't changed much except for the receding hairline and the creases around the eyes. Already in his fifties, he was still a strong and good looking man. However, there was also a palpable aura of defeat and desperation about him.

Despite himself, Steve managed to keep his voice steady when he responded, "I don't know you."

"Oh, but I knew you." Collins kept staring hard at him. "I just can't believe this. It _is_ you. Boy, you've grown, Stevie. I never dreamt to find you here."

"Like I said, I don't know you."

Carrying the package under one arm, Steve spun and walked briskly back towards the meeting room. Shutting the door, he tossed the package onto the table. His entire body was shaking so bad he could hardly stand still. He felt like smashing things, preferably Collins' face. He felt like screaming!

When Kate entered the room a short while later, she found Steve standing rigid with his fists clenched against the table. His face was flushing from barely controlled rage, his eyes red.

"Steve…" Kate tentatively approached him.

"He heard them say my name," Steve said through gritted teeth. "He knows me, Kate. He now knows where I am."

"Steve, I'm real sorry." She consolingly rubbed his arm. "When we terminated the interview with Collins, we did not expect you to come out front at the same time he exited the interview room. If I had known, I would've warned you sooner."

Steve blinked the sudden tears out of his eyes. "I nearly killed him just now. I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and just crush the life out of him. I was so mad, Kate. I still am."

"I know, mate. I know."

"How could he freely roam the streets when Cassie lies dead in the grave? It is so unfair…" he said, his voice breaking.

In response, she gave his hand a squeeze and softly said, "He has paid for what he did to Cassie. Twenty years in prison has not been good to him. He's already a broken man, and now he's doing everything he can think of to get back what he has lost, even if he had to bribe some police officers for that."

When he finally turned to look at her, she added, "Just hang in there, Steve. Justice will prevail."

_**-AC12AC12AC12AC12AC12-**_

It was a night for celebration.

After two stressful weeks of intense research and strained interviews and grueling cross examinations, Steve's team finally closed the traffic case. From twenty one traffic officers suspected of demanding kickbacks, nineteen of them had been clearly proven to be at fault. It was now up to the CPS to bring their cases to trial.

Steve and Kate sat relaxing at his favorite pub, surrounded by his team. It was Friday night, and they had gotten off work a bit earlier than usual. Even Superintendent Hastings had shown up for several minutes before leaving for a dinner date across town. God knows who the lucky lady was, as no one dared to ask the gaffer.

"Here's to DS Arnott," DC Archie Miles announced, raising his tumbler full of beer for the umpteenth time that evening. "Due to his intelligence, diligence, and tenacity..."

"Not to mention annoying doggedness," Kate drolly added.

"Yes, ma'am. That too." Miles nodded. "…he has managed to nab nineteen bent coppers under one net. A new AC-12 record."

"Hear, hear," his fellow co-workers chorused in unison.

"Sit down, Miles. You're so drunk," Steve said, blushing. "Besides, I didn't do it alone. There's no 'i' in team, right?"

"Aww…save us the cheesy line, Sarge. Relish this moment," said DC Alexis Kline, one of Steve's team members. "You deserve it."

Steve looked at Kate and shrugged with a sheepish grin. "What can I say, ma'am? My team thinks I'm a superhero."

"Superhero, my arse," she responded, much to the others' amusement.

"Alright, seriously," Steve said, raising his glass at Kate's way. "Here's to DI Fleming for closing _her_ case. Congratulations, ma'am. You did great without me."

As their fellow co-workers applauded, Kate smiled and said, "Yeah, it's definitely a good day for AC-12. And I would like to thank Miles for putting up with me during the investigation. You're a good substitute for DS Arnott."

"I'm not as handsome, though," Miles glibly replied, patting the paunch of his belly. "And this need to go before I can fit into that famous waistcoat."

That produced another round of laughter. Not long afterwards, they all began to disperse, leaving Steve alone with Kate. He asked the bartender for another glass of drink for each of them.

"Well done, mate," he said, clinking his glass with hers.

"You too, mate."

Finishing his drink, Steve looked gratefully at her. "I appreciate what you did. You managed to prove that Collins is buying the DCI's favor to hide his past criminal records so that he can freely run his real estate business in East Midlands without the local authorities' interference."

"I'm just doing my job, nothing personal." Kate shrugged.

Steve nodded. "I know. But it would be different if _I_ were involved in that case. It would look like retribution on my part. Honestly speaking, I wouldn't be able to stay objective."

"Well, it's over and done now," she said. "Both Collins and the DCI will be put on trial soon. Let the law decides their fate."

Steve glanced at his watch. "It's still early, but I better get home while I'm still able to stand upright."

"You're not driving, are you?"

"No, I'm taking a taxi. I'm so tipsy I can barely think straight. How about you? Need a lift home?"

"It's alright. The hubby is arriving in a short while."

"That's good to know." Smiling, Steve gave her a brief hug. "See ya later, mate."

"Yeah, see ya."

When he got outside, Steve realized that it was drizzling. Using his mobile phone to call for the taxi, he then waited under the awning in front of the pub, hugging himself inside his jacket to ward off the cold. When his taxi arrived minutes later, he quickly dashed into the rain.

"Hey, Owen. Sorry about the damp seat," Steve told the taxi driver as he pulled the door shut, brushing rainwater off his hair and face. He had been Owen's regular customer since his transfer to AC-12 seven years ago.

"No worries, Sarge," the driver easily replied. "Had a good fun tonight?"

Steve grinned back. "The best. Forgive me if I drift off for a while. My head is spinning a bit."

"Nah, go ahead. I'll get you home in no time."

Leaning his head back, Steve closed his eyes and promptly fell into a doze. Soon afterwards, he was awakened by Owen's voice, "Sarge, we're here."

"Wow. That's fast." Steve blinked as he straightened up.

Owen laughed out loud. "How much did you actually drink tonight?"

"A little too much, I guess. Thanks, Owen. You're a lifesaver."

After paying the driver, Steve stumbled out of the taxi. It was still raining, though not as heavily as before. Heading towards the main entrance to his flat, he dug into his pocket for his house keys.

"Shit," he swore when he clumsily dropped the keys. As he bent over to retrieve them, he heard a whooshing sound coming from behind. He whirled around, as fast as his tipsy state would allow, but he was too late. Something hard slammed against his temple.

With a grunt, he fell down onto his knees. The hard object then slammed onto his back, right across his shoulder blades. He dropped onto all fours, close to blacking out. Fighting hard to stay awake, he turned to look at his attacker. And that was when the sharp tip of a fireplace poker—which was initially meant for his back—plunged into his upper left arm.

Steve cried out in agony. His attacker yanked out the poker and raised it high to bring it down again. Blinking blood out of his eye, Steve kicked hard, hitting his attacker square in the nuts. The man howled. Steve kicked again, this time hitting his attacker's kneecap. The man stumbled to the ground, dropping the poker in the process.

Scrabbling backwards, Steve tried to push himself up, but his injured arm was giving him too much pain. He then watched in dismay as his attacker managed to rise to glare down at him.

His attacker was none other than Sebastian Collins.

"You've ruined my life, boy," Collins growled, looking a bit manic. "Now you've ruined it again!"

"You did it yourself!" Steve shouted back. He pressed hard against the wound in his arm that was bleeding profusely. "It's all over for you now, you bastard."

Screaming with rage, Collins grabbed the steel poker and made a swing towards Steve's head. At that same time, a group of black clad figures wearing protective vests and helmets emerged from out of nowhere.

"Drop it down, drop it down!" The AFOs were yelling, their assault rifles aimed directly at Collins. "Hands behind your back! Do it now!"

Stunned, Collins released the poker and it dropped to the ground with an audible clang. The AFOs worked quickly to secure him, pushing him face down onto the wet pavement before cuffing his wrists behind his back.

Sergeant Mike Lewis, the AFOs team leader, rushed over to assist as Steve struggled to rise. "How badly are you hurt?"

Steve looked down at his bleeding arm and grimaced. "I'll live."

Turning to one of his officers, Mike asked, "Greg, the EMT?"

The other man responded by showing five fingers, "ETA five minutes."

Nodding, Mike turned back to Steve, "I'm sorry, Steve. We should've arrived sooner. Our team got delayed by an overturned lorry in the middle of the street on our way here."

Steve frowned. "How did you know he was coming for me?"

"We didn't," Mike said, glancing at Collins who now began screaming obscenities like a man gone mental. "In fact, we had no idea if or when he was going to attack you. As precaution, we've put up a surveillance since two weeks ago."

"Surveillance on him?"

"Not him. _You_."

Steve was puzzled. "By whose orders?"

"DI Fleming, authorized by Superintendent Hastings."

Rolling his eyes, Steve shook his head and sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I should've killed you when I had the chance, you wee shite!" Collins continued to scream in the background, glaring with pure venom at Steve. "I should've killed your father too!"

Steve just stood there listening to the verbal abuse, his face unreadable as he stared at Collins without a word. Mike quietly asked, "Do you want a moment with him?"

After several seconds of contemplating, Steve finally replied, "No. He's not worth it."

"Good for you." Mike nodded his agreement. To his team, he then gave the order, "Take him away now."

Taking a deep breath, Steve turned his back on Collins and walked stiffly towards the ambulance that had just arrived at the scene.

_**-AC12AC12AC12AC12AC12-**_

Steve was sitting at the back of the ambulance, having his injuries examined, when Kate appeared a half hour later.

"I came as soon as they told me." She worriedly scanned him up and down. "Jesus, Steve. Are you alright?"

He shrugged. "I'll be terribly sore for a few days, but nothing to worry about."

"Um…Actually, the stab wound in your arm is quite serious," said the paramedic who was tending to him. "It has stopped bleeding but I'm concerned about possible muscle tears. Also, I'm afraid you have a slight concussion from the knock to your head. We better get you to the hospital for further treatment."

Steve gave Kate a helpless look. "Not the hospital _again_…God help me."

Chuckling softly, she gathered him into her arms. "I'm glad you're okay, mate."

"Yeah, me too." Pulling away, he smiled back at her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"The surveillance."

"Thank the gaffer. It was _his_ idea."

Steve's eyebrows went up. "Really?"

She nodded and looked closely at him. "You're sure you're alright?"

"I am now."

"Collins attacked you, attempting to kill you. After tonight, he'll be put away for a very long time."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's over now, Steve. It's truly over."

Giving her a sad smile, Steve didn't reply. Indeed, it was over for Collins. It was over for Cassie. But it would never be over for him, because he would always remember.

He would never be able to forget.

**THE END**

**Stay tuned for more LOD stories. Later, guys. **

"**Stop making a tit of yourself and piss off." – DI Kate Fleming.**

*** ****ABBREVIATIONS****:**

**AC - Anti Corruption**

**AFO - Authorized Firearms Officer**

**CPS - Crown Prosecution Service**

**DC - Detective Constable**

**DCI - Detective Chief Inspector**

**DI - Detective Inspector**

**DS - Detective Sergeant**

**RPU - Road Policing Unit**


End file.
